Family of Highland Park shooting victim Cooper Roberts, 8, delivers update on his recovery
CHICAGO - The family of Cooper Roberts, the 8-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back during the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, provided an update on his recovery Thursday.
"The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab team is seeing some patterns of behavior that may indicate some cognitive loss. Cooper wasn’t well enough or talking enough to notice these issues earlier while in the hospital. Therapists are seeing short term memory loss, issues with word recovery, and loss of acuity around fine motor skills," the Roberts family said in a statement.
Cooper and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Occupational Therapist Elizabeth work on his fine motor skills | Provided
Doctors will be doing a neurological and psychological evaluation on Cooper this week as they work on new therapies.
The family said the news is "overwhelming to consider" and the AbilityLab team has been talking with the Roberts family about Cooper's long-term needs once he is able to go home.
Highland Park shooting victim Cooper Roberts doing better, took part in wheelchair race
Cooper Roberts, the 8-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back during the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, continues to improve and is now in better spirits, a family spokesperson said.
About a week ago, Cooper was able to begin eating regular foods instead of a liquid diet. He has even participated in wheelchair races at the rehabilitation hospital.
Cooper has undergone multiple surgeries.
The family said they're grateful for the community's support, prayers and donations.